Detroit Free Press Recognizes WCC as Top Workplace

The Detroit Free Press has named Washtenaw Community College one of the top employers in southeast Michigan. The paper announced its Top Workplaces for 2009 on Oct. 18, and WCC ranked 11th.

This is the second consecutive year WCC has ranked in the top 15 of the Free Press study that measures employee satisfaction. The process started in June when College employees were asked to complete a survey that included questions about pay and benefits packages, business operations, and facilities and policies, among other topics.

The survey drew responses from 32,363 employees at 173 employers throughout southeast Michigan. Each employee was asked to rate his or her organization’s performance according to 23 distinct statements, ranging from “This organization demonstrates it values employees during difficult times” to “It’s easy to tell my boss the truth.”

Each company was then placed into one of three size categories: up to 149 employees, 150-499 employees, and more than 500 workers within southeast Michigan. With 564 full-time employees, WCC was considered a large company. Other top organizations in that category include the University of Michigan Health System, Henry Ford Health System, Comcast, ProQuest, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Johnson Controls, among others. The companies were then ranked within their categories based on the average score of employee responses to the statements. The rankings are based solely on employee feedback.

“Our employees ranked benefits as number one—they believe the benefits package is good compared to others in this industry, and they have the flexibility they need to balance work and personal life,” said Marla Stuck, employment manager for WCC, who facilitated the project on campus.